The BBC and Virgin Media are among a host of broadcasters and industry bodies to come out against BSkyB's proposed acquisition of a 17.9 per cent stake in ITV in submissions made to the Competition Commission, which will be published on Friday.
The BBC's statement said the acquisition "may change (ITV's) strategic direction in a way that would ... harm the competitive process". In its submission, Virgin said: "BSkyB already has a history of using its powerful market positions adversely to affect its rivals' ability to compete."
The Commission also confirmed that its inquiry will include an investigation into the link between Sky and the rest of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, which includes The Times and The Sun.
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